


do I have to do everything around here?

by yawnralphio



Series: Fictober20 [28]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Gen, fictober20, no i don't know anything about horses so stop asking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:27:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27254926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yawnralphio/pseuds/yawnralphio
Summary: Eddie forms an unusual bond.
Series: Fictober20 [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967260
Comments: 3
Kudos: 29





	do I have to do everything around here?

The truck rolled to a stop outside a large outbuilding that was almost completely open on one side. A chest-high fence stretched across it, and a young man stood behind it waving a dusty baseball hat in their direction.

"This way!" He called out to them.

"I guess it's that way," Chimney muttered, walking to the back of the ambulance. The doors opened from the inside and Hen handed him a board and a bag before she hopped down, kicking up a small cloud of dust when she landed.

"Do you smell that?" Buck asked them, rubbing at his nose. An almost sweet scent surrounded them, mixed with pine shavings and an undercurrent of something herbal.

"Smells like a barn," Eddie deadpanned, earning himself a playful shove from Buck as the crew set off together.

Bobby led the way, and the man who'd called out to them opened the gate just wide enough for them to enter. He closed it quickly behind them as Bobby spoke.

"Are you Tommy? You the one who called it in?"

The man, who couldn't have been older than twenty, gave a nod as he settled his cap back on his head. It took some convincing as he jammed it down over a mop of unruly curls. "Yes, sir. She's this way," he said, indicating the lump of a prone teenage girl lying almost dead center in the massive arena.

Large windows set into the side of the building allowed light to brighten the space. It took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the dim interior. Hen and Chimney made a beeline for the kid, and the rest of them followed.

"She's still breathing," Hen informed the group. "How long has she been unconscious?"

"Since she was kicked," Tommy answered. He stood to the side with his hands clasped over his head, worrying at his bottom lip while he watched them work.

"Must have been one angry horse," Eddie muttered. He glanced around the arena, squinting into the darkened corners not illuminated by the windows. His troubled gaze landed briefly on Buck as he pressed his lips into a line.

Buck raised an eyebrow at him.

"Hey," Eddie said, turning to the young man. He moved in between him and the girl. "Tommy was it?"

"Yes, sir," Tommy said, craning his neck to peer around Eddie's shoulders.

"What happened to the horse?" Eddie asked, setting his hands on his hips.

Tommy frowned at him and turned, pointing toward a hallway that led further into the arena. A massive black shape stood out against the shadows, but the longer they looked, the easier she was to make out. A jet black horse with three white ankles had one hip turned toward them. She pawed at the ground as though she could feel their attention.

"She kicked and ran off," Tommy said, his arm flapping back to his side once Eddie spotted her.

"No one caught her?" Eddie asked, staring at the horse with a furrowed brow.

"I was worried about the girl." Tommy lowered his gaze to the dust at his feet, almost apologetic for focusing on the injured party.

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Do I have to do everything around here?" He muttered, and set off across the arena without a look back.

Buck glanced over to Bobby, who stood watching over the scene, and they shared a look. Then Buck hopped into a jog and followed after Eddie. "What, you treat animals now?" He teased, falling out of his jog and into step.

Several yards from the horse, Eddie barred his arm across Buck's chest and stopped them both in their tracks. "Stay here," he said, his eyes cutting to Buck and back to the horse. He left Buck standing there and crept forward with slow, deliberate footsteps. "What's her name?"

"Pharaoh," Tommy said from just a few feet behind Buck. His sudden presence made Buck jump.

"Hey Pharaoh," Eddie said softly. The horse's ears twitched, constantly swiveling in all directions. As he drew closer, she stamped her feet and tossed her head with her teeth bared. Eddie stopped walking, but kept speaking, his voice too low for Buck to make out any words.

He periodically took steps toward her, closing the distance by inches the longer he talked. Pharaoh's massive head turned, and the whites of her eyes were visible even in the dim light. The shifting of her feet slowed to a stop and she nickered softly.

Eddie straightened and glanced over to where Buck and Tommy stood. He went around Pharaoh to the wall, where a nylon kit with several pouches hung. He dug through it for a few seconds, occasionally pocketing the things he found, and eventually turned back with a chunk of apple in one hand. Once he returned to his previous position, he held out the apple and clicked his tongue at her.

"Come on," he said, wiggling the apple chunk. Pharaoh snorted and turned her head away from him. "No apples then," Eddie said, tossing the chunk over his shoulder away from her. He took another step forward and held out a carrot instead. This time the horse stamped her feet, pawing at the ground. The carrot followed the apple over his shoulder, and he dug out a small white cube from one of his pockets. He offered it to her in the palm of his hand.

This time, she turned her head toward him and tossed it up and down. Pharaoh extended her neck as far as she could, attempting to investigate without drawing closer. Eventually she sidestepped and nosed at Eddie's fingers. A short gust of air from her nose knocked the sugar cube to the ground, and Eddie laughed quietly.

He dug into his other pocket and pulled out a pink square. "This is all I've got," he told Pharaoh, holding out his hand. She took it almost immediately with a flash of teeth, and Eddie winced but didn't move a muscle.

Pharaoh chewed on the treat and ducked her head, nosing at his pocket for another.

"Peppermint it is," Eddie said, clearly amused. He kept his hand out for her and she sniffed at it with one ear angled towards him. Pharaoh shifted her weight towards him, bringing her back feet around. "Good girl," Eddie said softly. He turned his hand over and reached toward her neck.

Pharaoh startled and stepped away from him, snorting as she tossed her head.

"Well," Tommy sighed, drawing Buck's attention away from the strange ritual. "That's the closest anyone's gotten to her. She runs or fights everyone else."

"Why is she here?"

"Rescue. No one really knows what happened to her, just that she's afraid of damn near everything." Tommy shook his head sadly.

Buck turned back to Eddie and was surprised to find him holding the lead attached to Pharaoh's halter.

"Damn," Tommy whispered, jutting his hips to one side and setting his hands on them.

Eddie took a step back. Pharaoh seemed to think about it for a long minute, but finally lowered her head and followed him. Smiling, Eddie turned his back toward her and took another step. This time the pause was shorter, and she crowded up behind him to investigate his pockets again.

"Where do you want her?" Eddie called out, watching her attempt to fit her nose inside his pocket.

Tommy jumped into action, eyeing Pharaoh warily. He gave her a wide berth and headed for the gate that led toward the hallway beyond. Buck followed the procession at a distance. Under the artificial lighting in the stables, it was easy to see the sheen of sweat covering Pharaoh's flank.

Eddie led her a few stalls down and into one with her name next to it. He carefully reached up and took the harness off before stepping out and handing the whole assembly to Tommy.

"Thanks," Tommy said, looking down at the leather. He leaned against the door and looked into the stall with an expression of wonder.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Buck asked, once they'd started back toward the rigs. He watched Eddie as they walked.

"I didn't really," Eddie said, shrugging one shoulder. "The neighbors had horses when I was growing up, that's really the closest I ever got."

"Really," Buck said dubiously.

"Yeah, really," Eddie laughed, knocking into Buck's shoulder with his own. "Texas isn't all horses and cowboys, you know."

"Well, she clearly likes you. You could adopt her."

Eddie sighed, meeting Buck's gaze briefly. "And do what with her? With what free time?" He looked back longingly. "I would if I could."

Buck put his hand on Eddie's shoulder and squeezed. "That guy said it's the closest anyone's gotten to her. Maybe they'd let you come see her."

"Yeah," Eddie nodded. "Maybe Chris would want to come."

They stepped out into the sunlight soon after, just in time to see the ambulance pulling away. Bobby stood next to the fire truck, scribbling notes onto his clipboard. He glanced up as they approached.

"Are you done playing cowboy?"

"Yeehaw," Buck cried, grinning.

Eddie waved off the ribbing and the three of them climbed into the rig. As it pulled away, he leaned forward and watched out the window until the stable disappeared from sight.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](https://yawnralphio.tumblr.com).
> 
> Reblog [here](https://yawnralphio.tumblr.com/post/633266777032392704/28-do-i-have-to-do-everything-around-here-fox).


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